"Call it 2022’s design modus operandi: Campy maximalism led the way for the Bay Area’s newest bars and restaurants this year, ushering in a much-needed era of over-the-top fun. Even among the colorful cohort, Oakland music venue and bar Thee Stork Club stands out for both its mission to bring the local music scene back to its pre-pandemic tenor, its Madonna Inn-inspired decor, and kitschy throwback drinks poured without a hint of regret. It’s a bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously: Where else can you order drinks like the Harvey Ball Wanger, the club’s take on the Harvey Wallbanger; a Crappletini; or a Garfield, a peach schnapps and vodka-laced drink that’s “an ode to America’s favorite slob,” without catching flak? Plus, with plans for fishbowl drinks in the works and acerbic asides on the menu — like the C-Word, which notes the drink is “a bitchy take on the Sea Breeze” — Thee Stork Club can make even the most jaded bargoer smile. It’s the antidote to the overly polished bar scene of 2022 and a place to have an unabashedly good time." - Eater Staff
